Foreign tourists explore the French architecture of the HCM City Post Office in downtown District 1. VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — HCM City has announced plans to organise a range of major tourism promotion events within and outside the country throughout this year in an effort to boost tourism in the city. 

By doing so, the country’s largest city aims to attract both domestic and international visitors by showcasing the city’s unique traditions and cultural attractions.

The 10th HCM City Áo Dài Festival

The 10th HCM City Áo Dài (traditional long dress) Festival will take place from March 7 - 17 at Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian-only street and various tourist destinations in the city. 

The annual festival is organised by the city’s Tourism Department and the Vietnamese Women’s Union to honour the national dress.

The 20th HCM City Tourism Festival

From April 4 to 7, the 20th HCM City Tourism Festival will be held at the September 23 Park in District 1. 

It features captivating performances and a tourism fair with over 200 booths showcasing tourism and culinary delights.

The 2nd River Festival

The city will host the 2nd River Festival at the Saigon Port and Hiệp Phước Port to promote river tourism from May 31 - June 8.

The festival aims to promote long-standing river tourism products associated with the spiritual life of the Southern Vietnamese people. 

The 18th HCM City International Tourism Expo (ITE HCMC 2024)

The expo is scheduled to take place from September 5 to 7 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7 and will feature 500 booths.

Recognised by five countries in the Mekong subregion, including Việt Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, the international event aims to enhance supply and demand dynamics by fostering connections among travel and tourism businesses. 

The 4th HCM City Tourism Week 

The 4th HCM City Tourism Week will take place from December 1 – 8 across all districts in the city, including Thủ Đức city.

The week-long event features diverse tourism, sports, and music activities, along with promotional programmes and shopping incentives. 

The 7th Techcombank HCM City International Marathon

The seventh Techcombank HCM City International Marathon, expected to be the largest running event held in Việt Nam, will take place from December 6 – 8 in front of the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens. 

The marathon is expected to be the largest running event held in Việt Nam (in 2023, the event attracted over 15,000 runners) and is also the largest charity event in Vietnam.

Overseas tourism promotion

In addition, HCM City will also organise five overseas tourism promotion programmes in countries including Germany, Australia, the US, Singapore, and the UK throughout the year to attract international visitors to the city. — VNS  

HCM City has announced plans this year to organise a range of major tourism promotion events. Photo courtesy of the city’s Department of Tourism